Rock, Paper, Scissors Lesson Plan

  • Interpersonal Communication

  • Group Dynamics

  • Sensitivity to Others

  • Honesty

  • Positive Self-Esteem

The students will work together to decide their action allowing different people to choose. They will help students in their group be successful by supporting them and communicating new strategies. 

S.T.A.R. Options:

Class Clap, counting, and rhythms. Teacher or one student lead. When the whole class sounds as one, try tow, then three, etc…

Math Counting (Multiples) Partner Counting. Clapping as a group to desired number. Add a partner and alternate count. Change partners.

Play + Connect Activity

Divide the playing area in half with a line down the middle and two safety zones on either end. There are two teams. Each team should huddle behind the center line on their side of the playing area and together decide what signal, from rock, paper, or scissors, they will use. Reminder: Rock smashes scissors; scissors cuts paper; paper covers rock. When teams have chosen their sign they should approach the center line, and on the count of three yell, “Rock, paper, scissors!” and then display their team’s signal. The winning team must chase the other players back to their safety area. Players who are tagged before returning to the safety area must join the other team. The game continues like this. If both teams use the same signal, teammates must return to their huddle and choose another one. 

Breathing Exercise Options:

Belly Breathing

5 belly breaths with mouth closed and hands on belly. Goal is to get students to breathe through nose and use their diaphragm. There should be very little movement of the chest and the belly should move in and out. Can do several rounds of this activity.

Accordion Breathing

5 belly breaths with mouth closed and hands on sides of lower ribs. Goal is to get students to breathe through nose and use their diaphragm. There should be very little movement of the chest and the students should feel movement outward on the inhale. Can do several rounds of this activity.

Learn + Grow Activity

While doing this game in pairs, have the students that win give their partner a math fact problem around adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing. You can modify this by having the winning person ask their partner a questions regarding any subject matter you are covering in class. Good for review. You can also have each person play a certain number of games and keep track of wins and losses to create fractions, decimals, percents, or even graph their results. You can also do range, median, and mode as a class. 

Reflect Activity

Do you think it is important to include everyone in the game? Were you able to communicate with your partner so it was fair? How should we handle winning and losing?

Variations

Create a train..Students will challenge a person and the one who loses stands behind the winner of that time. They continue on to find a new group. Goes down to two final groups with all behind cheering them on. 

  • CASEL Traits:

  • Responsible Decision Making

  • Relationship Skills